February 2, 2018
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) and fellow members of the National Conference of Pharmaceutical Organizations (NCPO) have requested a meeting with the Trump Administration to identify and implement specific recommendations included as part of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.
In a statement, NCPO — a coalition that represents more than 300,000 pharmacy practitioners and pharmaceutical scientists, companies engaged in healthcare delivery, as well as pharmacy regulators and educators — stated that “[our] organizations respectfully request the opportunity to dialogue with the President and others in the Administration to discuss specific recommendations and plans for implementation and identify strategies to enhance the support of the stakeholder communities represented.”
“Turning the tide on the opioid epidemic requires a collaborative and systemic response that engages all stakeholders,” stated HDA President and CEO John M. Gray. “Our members, along with our supply chain partners represented by NCPO, are committed to working with policymakers to implement the urgent solutions we need that will protect patients and the public health.”
As the logistics experts in the supply chain, distributors are tasked with the primary responsibility of delivering all medicines to licensed pharmacies, hospitals and healthcare providers. Distributors work closely with enforcement officials and others across the pharmaceutical supply chain to make sure that patients with legitimate pain needs can access treatment, while also preventing abuse, misuse and diversion before it begins.
Recently, HDA’s members endorsed a proactive set of policy solutions focused on addressing critical gaps in the country’s response to the epidemic, including:
These policy solutions build on the recommendations from the broader public health community. In addition to the report from the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis and recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, distributors are committed to advancing a thoughtful and comprehensive blueprint to ensure patients get the care they need, and, equally important, that the health system evolves to prevent prolonging this epidemic into the future.
The National Conference of Pharmaceutical Organizations (NCPO) is a coalition of organizations and associations that represents more than 300,000 pharmacy practitioners and pharmaceutical scientists, wholesale distributors and companies engaged in healthcare delivery, as well as pharmacy regulators and educators.
The Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) represents primary pharmaceutical distributors — the vital link between the nation’s pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics and others nationwide. Since 1876, HDA has helped members navigate regulations and innovations to get the right medicines to the right patients at the right time, safely and efficiently. The HDA Research Foundation, HDA’s nonprofit charitable foundation, serves the healthcare industry by providing research and education focused on priority healthcare supply chain issues.